911 calls public record

Joel Ebert Nashville Tennessean Published 8:00 AM EST Feb 12, 2019 Every legislative session there are efforts to limit or change the public's access to government documents and records. And this year is no different. In the 111th Tennessee General Assembly, lawmakers have introduced a host of bills related to public records that could have an impact on residents across Tennessee. The following is an overview of some of those proposals. 911 calls A new measure from Rep. Rick Tillis, R-Lewisburg, and Sen. Shane Reeves, R-Murfreesboro, would make 911 calls, recordings and transmissions confidential. The legislation, HB 335 and SB 386, would only allow 911 calls and recordings to be released if the caller provides their consent. Although most Tennesseans do not regularly access 911 calls, journalists frequently utilize them for report on important stories and show how first responders handled high-profile cases. Body camera footage … [Read more...] about Body camera footage, 911 calls and accident reports: A look how lawmakers want to change public records laws

Officials in Dallas were intentionally withholding the 911 call former police officer Amber Guyger made after she shot and killed Botham Jean in his own apartment last month. The news first reported by the Dallas Morning News was the latest sign that authorities may be trying to cover up the shooting that appeared to be a police murder of a Black man but only resulted in manslaughter charges. “An attorney for the city said in a letter dated Monday that the Dallas Police Department and Dallas County district attorney’s office are asking Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to allow them to withhold the 911 recording requested by The Dallas Morning News,” the news outlet reported Tuesday afternoon. “Assistant City Attorney Pavala Armstrong wrote that releasing the information would interfere with the investigation into the Sept. 6 shooting.” The decision to not make the 911 call public — a practice that has become more than common in … [Read more...] about Is There A Cover-Up? Dallas Won’t Release Amber Guyger’s 911 Call After She Killed Botham Jean